The Sun Sūtra

The Sun Stra
The Sun Stra
In the Indian Language [Sanskrit]: Surya Stra [srya-stra]
In the Tibetan Language: Nyimay Do (nyi mai mdo)
In the English Language: The Sun Stra
BOWS OF DEVOTION TO THE EXALTED THREE JEWELS!
Thus have I heard: At one time, the Transcendent and Accomplished Conqueror was
near rvast, in the benefactor Anthapiadas relaxation garden in Jetavana Grove. At that
time, the divine son Srya [the Sun] was captured by a king of the demi-gods, Rhula.
Thereupon, the divine boy Srya contemplated the recollection of the Transcendent Conqueror.
At that time, he spoke the following verses:
I bow to the Buddha, the Hero,
Please free us all quickly.
As I call out to you from this mouth of mine,
I go for refuge in you!
Then, the Transcendent Conqueror, for the sake of the young god Srya, bestowed the following
sacred words of verse to the king of demi-gods, Rhula:
As the Buddha has love for the world,
Since Srya has gone for refuge
In the Arhat Tathgata,
Rhula [i] will now behold the Sun.
Whatever darkness there is, through illumination it will be dispelled.
The brilliant radiance of the fierce illuminator, the disc-like Moon,
And the Sun in the sky: Rhula cannot obscure them.
As for this Sun, Rhula, behold it!
Thereupon the king of the demi-gods Rhula released the young god Srya, and returning to his
previous form, went before the king of the demi-gods, Splendid Threads. Having gone there, as
his mind was unhappy and saddened, his hairs stood on end, and he stayed to one side. As he
stood to one side, the king of the demi-gods Splendid Threads spoke the following verses to the
king of demi-gods Rhula:
Why is it that your mind has become upset?
Rhula has seen the Sun,
And now your bodys appearance is absolutely horrendous.
Why is it that, out of fear, you have come here?

Rhula spoke thus:
Because I heard the Buddhas verses,
I was not able to steal the Sun,
And so my head split into seven pieces:
In my life, I have no happiness!
THE SUN STRA IS COMPLETE.
In the presence of the Mahpaita nandar, the translator of much learning, the kyan monk
Nyima Gyltsen Pl Zangpo [Excellent Glorious Victory Banner of the Sun] translated, edited,
and proofread this at the dwelling place of the bilingual ones, the great temple Pl Tarpa Ling.
On this earth, may it become like the sun and the moon!
Translated from the Tibetan by Erick Tsiknopoulos
The translation was first done during late 2010 in Sidhpur, India near Dharamsala, and was later
revised during September 2014 in Bangkok, Thailand.
[i] Rhula (Sanskrit: hindrance) is a term for many things: an ancient Indian astronomical and
astrological conception, a planet, a demon, a Tantric meditational deity, and the phenomenon of
eclipses; it is also the name of the Buddhas son. Rhula is generally associated with destructive
or wrathful astro-geological activities and phenomena, and their related psychological correlates.
Rhula trying to steal the sun in this Stra is probably a metaphor for an eclipse on the
microcosmic level, and more broadly the obscuring process of ignorance eclipsing wisdom on
the macrocosmic level. Srya, the Sun, takes refuge in the Buddha, and in so doing, the Buddha
helps him to unveil his true power, thereby dispelling the malevolent ecliptic celestial force of
Rhula. This Stra is rather cryptic, and perhaps can be seen as primarily a cultural fable relating
natural phenomena with the spiritual journey and its process. The main message seems to be that
faith in the Buddha (that is, Awakening itself) is the primary cause for dispersing obstacles (or
hindrances, Rhula), both physical and spiritua
The Three Kyas Stra
In the Indian Language [Sanskrit]: rya Trikya nma Mahyana Stra
In the Tibetan Language: Phakpa Ku Sum zheyjaway Thekpachhenpoi Do [phags pa

sku gsum zhes bya bai theg pa chen poi mdo]
In the English Language: The Exalted Mahyana Stra known as The Three Kyas
ADORATION TO ALL BUDDHAS AND BODHISATTVAS.
Thus have I heard: At one time, the Sublime Master was abiding at Vultures Peak
Mountain in Rjagriha. Immeasurably innumerable bodhisattvas, gods, nagas, and
retinues were all staying together in one congregation, paying reverence and making
offerings to the Sublime Master.
At that time, the Bodhisattva Kitigarbha, who was sitting there in that assembly, rose
from his seat, and thereupon addressed the Sublime Master with the following words:
How many bodies [kyas] does the Bhagavn possess?
The Sublime Master bestowed teaching thus:
Kitigarbha, the Bhagavn Tathgata possesses three bodies: the Dharmakya, the
Sambhogakya, and the Nirmaakya.
Son of good lineage, concerning the Three Kyas, utterly pure essential nature is the
Dharmakya, utterly pure meditative absorption [samadhi] is the Sambhogakya, and
utterly pure conduct is the Nirmaakya of all Buddhas.
Son of good lineage, the Dharmakya of the Tathgata, like the sky, has the
significance of the absence of inherent existence. The Sambhogakya, like a cloud,
has the significance of formation. The Nirmaakya is the enlightened activity of all
Buddhas, and, like rain, has the significance of permeating everything.
The Bodhisattva Kitigarbha addressed the Sublime Master with the following words:
How should one view the explanation on the Three Bodies of the Bhagavn?
The Sublime Master bestowed teaching to the Bodhisattva Kitigarbha thus:
Son of good lineage, one should view the Three Kyas of the Tathgata in the
following way: One should view the Dharmakya as that which is the true identity of
the Tathgatas. One should view the Sambhogakya as that which is the true identity
of the Bodhisattvas. One should view the Nirmaakya as that which is the true
identity of ordinary individuals who act with a sense of dedication1.
Son of good lineage, the Dharmakya dwells in harmony with all Buddhas and their
essential nature. The Sambhogakya dwells in harmony with all Buddhas and their
meditative absorption. The Nirmaakya dwells in harmony with all Buddhas and
their enlightened activity.
Son of good lineage, the transmutation of the storehouse consciousness is Mirror-

Like Wisdom and the Dharmakya. The transmutation of the afflicted mind is
Equalizing Wisdom. The transmutation of the mental consciousness is Discriminating
Wisdom and the Sambhogakya. The transmutation of the consciousnesses of the five
doors is Action-Accomplishing Wisdom and the Nirmaakya.
Then, the Bodhisattva Kitigarbha addressed the Sublime Master with the following
words:
Bhagavn, that I have heard the Sacred Dharma from the Bhagavn is extremely
good. Sugata, it is extremely good.
The Sublime Master bestowed teaching thus:

Son of good lineage, whosoever thoroughly retains this Dharma discourse of the
Bhagavn shall obtain limitless, inexpressible, incalculable, and unfathomable merit.
The Sublime Master granted teaching with those words, and Bodhisattva Kitigarbha,
together with the worlds of gods, nagas, yakshas, and gandharvas, rejoiced, and
deeply praised what had been spoken by the Sublime Master.
THE EXALTED MAHYANA STRA KNOWN AS THE THREE KYAS IS

COMPLETE.
Translated from Tibetan by Erick Tsiknopoulos in McLeod Ganj, Dharamsala,

Himachal Pradesh, India. First draft completed in late November, 2012; revised in
late December, 2013. Thanks to Dr. Lobzang Gyamtso for his kind help with
reviewing the translation and providing commentary and explanation for the text.
1 Generally, this means beings who are dedicated in their practice of the Dharma, but
who have not yet attained the bodhisattva levels, in particular those on the Path of
Accumulation and the Path of Application, before the the first bodhisattva level is
attained. They act with a sense of dedication because they have not yet manifestly
realized emptiness, and practice out of that dedication supported by the teachings,
conceptual frameworks, and devotion. However, in the context of this Sutra, it could
apply to anyone who is not yet (or at least not evidently) a bodhisattva, but who is
dedicated to their Dharma practice or study. The Nirmaakya manifests itself as such
people, who appear ordinary but are, in reality, emanations of the Buddha.
Notes:
Mirror-Like Wisdom, Equalizing Wisdom, Discriminating Wisdom, and Action-

Accomplishing Wisdom: four of the five wisdoms (T: ye shes lnga), with the
exception of the wisdom of the basic space of phenomena (T: cho kyi dbyings kyi ye
shes).
They are related to their respective Buddhas in the Five Tathgata Families (T: de
bzhin gshegs pai rigs lnga), a key system in most tantric Buddhism generally and
also in some late proto-tantric Mahyana Buddhist scriptures, which this stra
appears to be a particular case of (the Stra of Golden Lightbeing another good
example). The correlations are as follows: mirror-like wisdom is
Akshobhya/Vajrasattva, equalizing wisdom is Ratnasambhava, discriminating wisdom
is Amitabha, and action-accomplishing wisdom is Amoghasiddhi.
The primary nature of the five wisdoms from the perspective of conditioned existence
is that they are the purification, or purified wisdom state, of the five root disturbing
mental states. Their correlation is as follows: mirror-like wisdom is the purification of
anger, equalizing wisdom is the purification of pride, discriminating wisdom is the
purification of attachment, and action-accomplishing wisdom is the purification of
envy.
Following this stra, the correlations for each of the Kyas are as follows:
The Dharmakya is correlated to 1) mirror-like wisdom, which is by its very nature 2)

the transmutation of the alaya-vijnana: the storehouse (or all-ground)
consciousness, and also 3) the purification of anger, and related to 4)
Akshobhya/Vajrasattva.
The Sambhogakya is correlated to 1) discriminating wisdom, which is by its very

nature 2) the transmutation of the mental consciousness (as opposed to the five types
of consciousness for each of the five physical senses), and also 3) the purification of
attachment, and related to 4) Amitabha.
The Nirmanakya is correlated to 1) action-accomplishing wisdom, which is by its

very nature 2) the transmutation of the consciousnesses of the five doors (that is, the
five types of consciousness for each of the five physical senses), and related to 3)
Amoghasiddhi.
In this stra, equalizing wisdom (Ratnasambhava and the purification of pride) is

correlated with the transmutation of the afflicted mind (that is, the mind that is
associated with disturbing mental states), but it is not correlated with any of the
Kyas. It would be interesting to investigate why this is so.
The Three Kayas are often presented in an order of increasing importance or subtlety,
from the Nirmanakaya to the Dharmakaya, with the Dharmakaya being the most
subtle and profound level, the Nirmanakaya being the least, and the Sambhogakaya
somewhere in between, although they are also simultaneously stated to be in some
ways indivisible and of the same essence. Following this general presentation of the
Three Kyas as a form of nested hierarchy, one could infer the following:
1) Mirror-like wisdom, being related to the Dharmakaya, is the foremost profound

type and very highest level of wisdom. The practice and realization of mirror-like
wisdom, and its associated deities of the Vajra family such as Akshobhya/Vajrasattva,
have a unique connection to the nature and attainment of the Dharmakaya.
2) Discriminating wisdom, being related to the Sambhogakaya, is the second most

profound type and second highest level of wisdom. The practice and realization of
discriminating wisdom, and its associated deities of the Padma family such as
Amitabha, have a unique connection to the nature and attainment of the
Sambhoghakaya.
3) Action-accomplishing wisdom, being related to the Nirmanakaya, is the third

most profound type and third highest level of wisdom. The practice and realization of
discriminating wisdom, and its associated deities of the Karma family such as
Amoghasiddhi, have a unique connection to the nature and attainment of the
Nirmanakaya.
4) Equalizing wisdom, being related directly to none of the kayas, is the fourth
most profound type and fourth highest level of wisdom. The practice and realization
of equalizing wisdom, and its associated deities of the Ratna family such as
Ratnasambhava, do not appear to have a unique connection to the nature and
attainment of the Three Kayas.
It may be significant however that equalizing wisdom is mentioned between the

Dharmakaya and the Sambhoghakaya this may indicate that it is a bridge between
the Dharmakaya and the Sambhogakaya, or that it even holds precedence over the
wisdoms mentioned after it. With this in mind, it could be inferred that in this context,
equalizing wisdom is actually the second most important wisdom, not the fourth,
although this is debatable
The Teaching on the Eleven Contemplations Stra

The Teaching on the Eleven Contemplations Stra
In the Indian Language [Sanskrit]: rya Samjna Ekadasha Nirdesha Stra
In the Tibetan Language: Phakpa Dushey Chuchik Tenpay Do
(phags pa du shes bcu gcig bstan pai mdo)

In the English Language: The Exalted Teaching on the Eleven Contemplations Stra
ADORATION TO THE THREE JEWELS.
abiding in the Grove of Twin Sla Trees near the Hero Vicinity of the city of Kusha, and,
when it was time for him to pass into Parinirvana, he granted teaching to the seekers of
virtue thus:
Seekers of virtue! At the time of death, seekers of virtue must actualize eleven
contemplations.
What are those eleven? Concerning this, one must actualize the contemplation of non-
attachment, the contemplation of loving-kindness for all sentient beings, the contemplation
of totally giving up all resentment, the contemplation of confessing all violated ethical
discipline, the contemplation of perfectly undertaking all ethical discipline, the
contemplation of broad-mindedness even towards those who have committed great evils,
the contemplation of small roots of virtue as being significant, the contemplation of having
no fear towards the world hereafter, the contemplation of the impermanence of all
conditioned things, the contemplation of the absence of self in all phenomena, and the
contemplation which thinks, Nirvana is peace.
The Transcendent and Accomplished Conqueror bestowed teaching with those words, and
those seekers of virtue rejoiced, and deeply praised what had been spoken by the
Transcendent and Accomplished Conqueror.
THE TEACHING ON THE ELEVEN CONTEMPLATIONS STRA IS COMPLETE.
he Stras on Recollecting the Precious Triple Gem

The Stras on Recollecting the Precious Triple Gem
In the Indian Language [Sanskrit]: rya-buddha-anusmti
In the Tibetan Language: phags-pa sangs-rgyas rjes-su-dran-pa
In the English Language: The Recollection of the Noble Buddha
HOMAGE TO ALL BUDDHAS AND BODHISATTVAS.

The Sublime Master (Bhagavn) is the Suchness Faring One (Tathgata), the Foe Destroyer
(Arhat), the Perfectly Complete Buddha (Samyaksambuddha), endowed with deep knowledge
and good conduct, the One Gone to Bliss (Sugata), the Knower of the World, the unsurpassed
Charioteer of persons to be trained, the Teacher of gods and humans: the Buddha Bhagavn.
The Suchness Faring Ones (Tathgatas) are concordant with the cause of positive potentials.
They do not waste their roots of virtue. They are adorned with patience. They are the basis for
the treasuries of positive potential. They are ornamented by their [minor] marks of excellence.
They blossom with the flowers of their [major] signs. Their activity is in accordance with what is
timely. They are never disharmonious to behold. They bring profound joy to those inspired by
faith. Their deep insight can not be suppressed. Their powers are irrepressible. They are the
teachers of all sentient beings. They are the fathers of the Bodhisattvas. They are the kings of
Noble Individuals. They are the guides for those going to the city of Nirva. Their deep wisdom
is unfathomable. Their confidence is inconceivable. Their speech is completely pure. Their tone
is pleasing. Their bodily countenance is endlessly insatiable to behold. Their bodies are
incomparable. They are not sullied by desires. They are not intimately affected by forms. They
are not contaminated by the formless. They are fully liberated from suffering. They are fully and
totally liberated from the aggregates. They are disassociated from the constituents. Their
faculties are controlled. They have totally severed the knots. They are fully liberated from
pervasive distress. They are totally liberated from craving. They have crossed the river. Their
deep wisdom is thoroughly complete. They abide in the deep wisdom of the Buddha Bhagavns
of the past, future, and present. They do not abide in Nirva. They abide in the furthest limit of
authentic reality. They rest on the level where all sentient beings are beheld. These are the good
qualities of the deep wisdom of the Suchness Faring Ones (Tathgatas), which are genuinely
great.
THE RECOLLECTION OF THE NOBLE BUDDHA IS COMPLETE.
In the Indian Language [Sanskrit]: dharma-anusmti

In the Tibetan Language: chos rjes-su-dran-pa
In the English Language: The Recollection of the Dharma
The Transcendent Dharma is spoken well. It is the heavenly way (brahmacarya). It is virtuous in
the beginning, virtuous in the middle, and virtuous in the end. Its meaning is excellent. Its words
are excellent. It is not corrupted. It is thoroughly complete. It is thoroughly pure. It is thoroughly
refined. The Dharma and its Discipline was spoken well by the Buddha Bhagavn. It was
authentically obtained. It is without ailment. Its time is unceasing. It guides intimately. It is
beneficial to perceive. It is to be known by the wise through their own awareness. The Dharma
and its Discipline was taught well. It leads to definitive release and complete Awakening. It is
without contradiction, and is consistent. It is reliable. It brings the journey to an end.
THE RECOLLECTION OF THE DHARMA IS COMPLETE.
In the Indian Language [Sanskrit]: sagha-anusmti

In the Tibetan Language: dge-dun rjes-su-dran-pa
In the English Language: The Recollection of the Sagha
The Noble Sagha is attending well. It is attending appropriately. It is attending harmoniously. It

is attending honestly. It is worthy of bowing deeply. It is worthy of joining the palms. Its
refinement in good qualities is great. It trains thoroughly in virtues. It is worthy of charity. It is
worthy of generosity by all.
THE RECOLLECTION OF THE SAGHA IS COMPLETE.

Translated from the Tibetan by Erick Tsiknopoulos, June 2016.
Notes:
This is a different version of the Stra than the one more commonly known and used, for two
reasons: 1) it is divided into three separate stras rather than the usual combined singular one,
and 2) its content and translation choices are substantially different in a few places, which can be
seen with comparison. It is found in a collection of stras arranged by Geshe Thupten Palsang
(dge-bshes thub-bstan dpal-bzang) entitled mdo tshan lam sgrig, and published by the Library of
Tibetan Works and Archives, Dharamsala, India (2007).
References:
THE SUTRA OF THE RECOLLECTION OF THE NOBLE THREE JEWELS, translation by Nalanda
Translation Committee (1975, 1980)
The Sutra of Recollecting the Three Jewels, translation by Jhampa Losal and Jay Goldberg (2014)
Unending Auspiciousness: The Sutra of the Recollection of the Noble Three Jewels with
Commentaries by Ju Mipham, Taranatha, and the Author, by Tony Duff (2010)
The Stra on the Three Trainings

The Stra on the Three Trainings
In the Indian Language [Sanskrit]: ika Traya Nma Stra (ika-traya-nma-stra)

In the Tibetan Language: Lappa Sum gyi Do Zheyjawa (bslab pa gsum gyi mdo zhes bya ba)
In the English Language: The Stra Renowned as The Three Trainings (The Three Trainings
Stra)
Thus have I heard: At one time, the Transcendent and Accomplished Conqueror was wandering
the countryside and traveling in the country of Vail . He came to a village of thatched huts,
and in a forest of Sla trees to the north of the village of thatched huts, he stayed in one
congregation with a great Sagha of fully-ordained monastics.
Then, the Transcendent and Accomplished Conqueror granted teaching to the monastics thus:
Seekers of virtue! There is ethical discipline. There is meditative absorption. There is discerning
wisdom. Seekers of virtue! If one becomes accustomed to ethical discipline, then one will come
to dwell in meditative absorption for a long time. If one becomes accustomed to meditative
absorption, then one will come to attain discerning wisdom. If one becomes accustomed to
discerning wisdom, then the following will occur: One will be totally liberated from greed,
hatred, and delusion into a purely perfect mind. The Noble Disciple who has been totally
liberated into a purely perfect mind will come to understand the following, in an utterly authentic
way:
The contamination of self has been extinguished,
The holy life has been adhered to,
What had to be done has been done:
I shall not know another conditioned existence, from here on.

The Transcendent and Accomplished Conqueror bestowed teaching with those words, and the
seekers of virtue rejoiced, and deeply praised what had been spoken by the Transcendent and
Accomplished Conqueror.
THE STRA ON THE THREE TRAININGS IS COMPLETE.
Translated from the Tibetan by Erick Tsiknopoulos, 2012-2014
The translation was first completed at McLeod Ganj, Dharamsala, India in November 2012, and
later revised at Bangkok, Thailand in September 2014.
Special thanks to Dr. Lobzang Gyatso for his help with reviewing the translation and providing
commentary and explanation for many points in the text.
The Stra on Perfectly Possessing Ethical Discipline (l

Samyukta Stra)
The Stra on Perfectly Possesssing Ethical Discipline (l Samyukta Stra)
In the Indian Language [Sanskrit]: l-samyukta-stra
In the Tibetan Language: tshul-khrims yang-dag-par ldan-pai mdo
In the English Language: The Stra on Perfect Endowment with Ethical Discipline
HOMAGE TO THE OMNISCIENT ONE.
Thus have I heard at one time: The Bhagavn [the Buddha] was staying at Anthapiadas park
in Jetavana Grove in rvast, in one company with a great monastic congregation of sixty-three
monks. At that time, the Bhagavn gave teaching to the monks: Monks, consciousness grows
dim, life-force expires, the conditioned forces of life are definitively vanquished; why then
would you not practice with steadfast diligence and resolve? As the human body is most difficult
to acquire, having obtained it, and also having acquired ordination (or going-forth) into the
Teaching of the Victorious One which is acquired through it [the human body], if you are led
astray by that which is inconducive to the goal of Liberation, you will undoubtedly suffer.
Monks, to be separated from life-force and die is easy, but that is not the case for the
degeneration of ethical discipline. Why is that so? Because being separated from life-force brings
to exhaustion the birth of this very life, but the degeneration and destruction of ethical discipline
brings about separation from good lineage for ten million births and eliminates happiness, thus
causing one to experience utter downfall.
[The Buddha then spoke in verse:]
(1) Therefore, the Teacher extols great recommendation for ethical discipline;
Having ethical discipline brings one to meet an arisen Buddha;
Having ethical discipline is the foremost of all ornaments;
Enrichment by ethical discipline is being anointed by perfume.
(2) Having ethical discipline is the source of all joys;

Having ethical discipline is the water that clears away distress;
Having ethical discipline is praised by all worlds;
By ethical disciplines, living beings receive the sublime.
(3) Since poisonous snakes, and even great black serpents,

Do not harm those with ethical discipline, what need to mention others?
The monk endowed with ethical discipline is imbued with light;
Having ethical discipline brings renown and gains happiness.
(4) Having ethical discipline is the cause of going to higher realms;

By guarding ethical discipline, Nirva is attained.
(5) Just as those without eyes are unable to see forms,

So too the Dharma is not seen without ethical discipline.
Just as it is impossible to embark on a road without legs,
So too Liberation will not come without ethical discipline.
(6) Just as a good vase is a vessel for precious things,

So too ethical discipline is the basis for cultivating the Dharmas.
Just as a broken vase is not suitable to be a vessel for precious things,
So too all Dharmas fall away when ethical discipline is torn asunder.
(7) Do you think that those who, in the first place, are without ethical discipline,
Will attain Nirva from outside?
For someone whose nose or ears are maimed and the like [for example],
Will not require mirrors [to know this to be the case].
(8) Even when not hearing them with the ears or seeing them before the eyes,
The person who guards the Teachings will go to higher realms;
Those who study them much, are studious and guard their study are higher realms themselves.
(9) Where could it be appropriate to attend women?
Where could there be joy in a royal palace?
Where could foam have essence?
Where could resources be permanent?
(10) There is no appropriateness in women;

There is no joy in royal dominion;
There is no essence in foam;
There is no permanence in resources.
(11) Resources are like a cascading waterfall;

As boats are, so are homes;
As flowers are, just so are forms;
Life is similar to bubbles of water.
The Bhagavn gave teaching thus with those words, and those monks rejoiced, and openly
praised what had been spoken by the Bhagavn.
THE STRA ON PERFECT ENDOWMENT WITH ETHICAL DISCIPLINE IS COMPLETE.
Translated from the Tibetan by Erick Tsiknopoulos, May 2016.
Notes:
sixty-three monks (brgya-phrag phyed dang bcu-gsum): Literally half a hundred and
thirteen, thus presumably sixty-three, although the translation by Nalanda Monastery has
twelve hundred and fifty, which may be from another edition of the text, and would also
certainly qualify as being more of a great monastic congregation (dge-slong gi dge-dun chen-
po).
resolve (brtul-pa): The precise meaning of this word are somewhat obscure, but it is
apparently related to the more common brtul-zhugs, commonly resolute discipline and the
like, and thus in this case resolve seems appropriate here. The translation by Nalanda
Monastery has energy.
(4) Endowment with ethical discipline is the cause of going to higher realms;/ By guarding
ethical discipline, Nirva is attained (tshul-khrims ldan-pa mtho-ris gro-bai rgyu/ tshul-
khrims bsrungs-pas mya-ngan-da thob gyur): These entire two lines are missing from the
translation by Nalanda Monastery. Notably, it also does not match the previous and later
sequence of four-line stanza structures which is held throughout, with the exception of the three-
line stanza number 8 (number 7 in the translation by Nalanda Monastery). It has been separated
as a distinct stanza here (number 4) for clarity.
For someone whose nose or ears are maimed and the like [for example],/ Will not require
mirrors [to know this to be the case] (sna dang rna rdum la-sogs gang-yin-pa/ de la me-long
dag ni dgos mi gyur): Despite the remarkably enigmatic terseness of these two lines, the point
here would seem to be that: As predicated in the first two lines, because those who in the first
place do not have ethical discipline cannot attain Nirva from outside external sources, the
implication being that it is through the inner cultivation of ethical discipline that Nirva is
attained, it is therefore similar, for example, to how someone who has a mutilated nose or ear
would not require a mirror, specifically (and here presumably) to know the condition of his or
her face, just as one who does not have ethical discipline should know his moral faults, and not
expect to attain Nirva without ethical discipline. Other interpretations may be possible.
Even when not hearing them with the ears or seeing them before the eyes(rnas-bas ma
thos mig sngar ma-mthong bzhin): This is a bit obscure. The translation by Nalanda Monastery
has Though it [the Doctrine] is not heard by the ears or seen with the eyes. It would seem to
mean that one is reborn in higher realms by virtue of protecting the Teachings, whether or not
one sees the Teachings or hears the Teachings, and this is how Nalanda Monastery translated it.
The structure, especially the bzhin, is not terribly clear.
There is no appropriateness in women (bud-med dag la rung-ba med): This teaching was
given specifically for the male monks who composed the audience. Monks must keep
interactions with women to a minimum in order to maintain their monastic ethical discipline. If
the same advice were given for nuns, it would be there is no appropriateness in men.
The Stra on Deep Wisdom at the Moment of Death

The Stra on Deep Wisdom at the Moment of Death
In the Indian Language: rya-t-jna-nma-mahyna-stra

In the Tibetan Language: phags-pa da-ka ye-shes kyi mdo
In the English Language: The Stra on Deep Wisdom at the Moment of Death

Thus have I heard at one time: The Bhagavn was abiding in the palace of the king of the gods in
Akania (Above All), and teaching the Dharma to all the assemblies, when the Bodhisattva
Mahsattva kagarbha (Essence of Space) prostrated to the Bhagavn, and then asked in the
following words: Bhagavn, when Bodhisattvas are near the point of death, how should they
observe the mind?
The Bhagavn gave teaching: kagarbha, when Bodhisattvas are at the time of death, they
should cultivate deep wisdom at the moment of death. Here, the deep wisdom at the moment of
death is as follows:
Because all phenomena are by nature utterly pure, the conception of Non-Substantiality should
be cultivated intensively. Because all phenomena are subsumed within Awakened Mind
(bodhicitta), the conception of Great Compassion should be cultivated intensively. Because all
phenomena are by nature luminous, the conception of Non-Referentiality should be cultivated
intensively. Because all entities are impermanent, the conception of Non-Attachment toward
anything at all should be cultivated intensively. Because there is deep wisdom when the mind is
realized, the conception of not seeking the Buddha elsewhere should be cultivated intensively.
The Bhagavn gave teaching in these verses:
As all things are naturally pure in full,

Cultivate the notion of Non-Substantiality.
As they are thoroughly imbued with Awakened Mind,
Cultivate the notion of Great Compassion.
As everything is naturally luminous,
Cultivate the notion of Non-Referentiality.
As all entities are impermanent,
Cultivate the notion of Non-Attachment.
Mind is the cause for the arising of deep wisdom:
Do not seek the Buddha elsewhere.
The Bhagavn gave teaching with those words, and all those in the assembled retinues, such as
Bodhisattva kagarbha, rejoiced with powerful joy and delight, and openly praised what had
been spoken by the Bhagavn.
THE MAHYNA STRA KNOWN AS THE NOBLE DEEP WISDOM AT THE

MOMENT OF DEATH IS COMPLETE.
Translated from Tibetan by Erick Tsiknopoulos, May 2016.
Notes:
This version of The Stra on Deep Wisdom at the Moment of Death is found in mdo tshan lam
sgrig, a collection of Stras in Tibetan compiled by Geshe Thupten Palsang (dge-bshes thub-
bstan dpal-bzang) and published by the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, Dharamsala,
India.
The Stra on Deep Wisdom at the Moment of Death is said to be a condensation of the teachings
presented in the Mahparinirva Stra, the Buddhas final teaching before his death.
For further commentary on The Stra on Deep Wisdom at the Moment of Death, download a free
PDF of commentaries by ntideva and Prajsamudra translated by Lhasey Lotsawa
Translations and Publications here. To quote the website (with some added punctuation):
The Noble Wisdom of the Time of Death Stra is a Mahyna stra that was taught by Buddha
kyamuni. Belonging to the Third Turning of the Wheel of Dharma, it presents the final and
definitive teachings. Though this Stra is very short, it contains pithy and direct instructions on
the view and meditation of the Mahyna. A condensation of the Mahparinirva Stra, it is
one of the ten profound Stras that are said to expound the definitive and ultimate intent of
Buddhas doctrine.
kagarbha Bodhisattva (Essence of Space): A bodhisattva who is associated with the great
element (mahbhta) of space (ka), has the perfect ability to purify transgressions, and is the
personification of the Buddhas blessings. His name can also be translated as Sky/Space
Treasury, as his wisdom is said to be boundless as space itself. He is sometimes known as the
twin brother of Earth Store Bodhisattva Kitigarbha, and is even briefly mentioned in
the Kitigarbha Bodhisattva Prvapraidhna Stra. Two Mahayana sutras are known to
survive in which kagarbha Bodhisattva is a central figure: the kagarbha Bodhisattva
Stra and the kagarbha Bodhisattva Dhra Stra. Additionally, he appears briefly in the
final chapter of the Kitigarbha Bodhisattva Prvapraidhna Stra, requesting the Buddha to
preach on the benefits of praising that Stra and of Kitigarbha.[3] He is counted among the Eight
Great
Bodhisattvas: Majushri, or , Avalokiteshvara, , Vajrap
ani, , Maitreya, , Kshitigarbha, or , Akashagarbha,
, Sarvanivaranavishkambhin, , and Samantabhadra, .
(Sources: Wikipedia and Rigpa Wiki)
Akaniha (Above All): This is defined in the Rigpa Wiki entry found
at http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Akanishtha (with some added punctuation and
diacritics), as follows:
Akanishtha (Skt. Akaniha; Tib. , kmin; Wyl. og min) The word Akaniha means
not below, or above all. It refers to the Pure Abodes whose characteristic is, according to the
Omniscient Longchenpa (kun mkhyen klong chen pa), that there is nothing above them, and there
are no features from elsewhere that surpass them.[1] So, the name Akaniha is used throughout
the teachings to refer to different abodes, which all share the common characteristic of being the
highest, in relation to specific criteria. The great Indian master Buddhaguhya distinguishes six
different ways of using the name Akaniha. Longchenpa speaks of three types of Akaniha in
relation to the Three Kyas The highest heaven of the form realm. According to Mahyna,
Buddhas first reach full enlightenment in Akaniha, and then manifest enlightenment through a
Nirmakya body in the human realm Akaniha (Tib. , Wyl. og min
stug po bkod pai zhing khams) or kmin Chenpo (Tib. , Wyl. og min chen po), in
Vajrayna, also refers to the pure Sambhogakya field from which emanate all pure
Nirmakya fields. In the Three Kyas Maala offering of the Longchen Nyingtik Ngndro,
Akaniha is also referred to as the highest heaven of great bliss, the realm of Ghanavyha (Tib.
, Wyl. stug po bkod pa) Akaniha is also the name of Vairocanas Buddha Field
(sangs rgyas kyi zhing).
Non-Substantiality (dngos-po med-pa): the state of lacking real substance or true existence.
Non-Referentiality (dmigs-pa med-pa): the state of lacking fixed reference points or mentally
apprehended conceptual focus.
The Stra of the Teaching on the Four Dharmas
In the Indian Language [Sanskrit]: rya Chatu Dharma Nirdhesha Nma Mahyna
Stra
(rya-catu[h]-dharma-nirdhesha-nma-mahyna-stra)
In the Tibetan Language: Pakpa Ch Zhi Tenpa Zheyjawa Thekpachenpoi Do
(phags pa chos bzhi stan pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen poi mdo)
In the English Language: The Mahyna Stra known as The Exalted Teaching on
the Four Dharmas
(The Exalted Teaching on the Four Dharmas Mahyna Stra)

Thus have I heard: At one time, the Bhagavn was residing in the assembly place of
gods known as Excellent Dharma within the Heaven of the Thirty-Three Gods, in
company with a great Sagha of a full five hundred fully-ordained monks, and an
immensely great many Bodhisattva Mahsattvas, including Maitreya and Majur;
and thereupon, the Bhagavn granted teaching to the Bodhisattva Mahsattva,
Maitreya:
Maitreya, if a Bodhisattva Mahsattva has four Dharmas, he or she will overcome

harmful actions that have been perpetrated and accrued. What are these four? They are
as follows:
1] The Power of Full Application of Strong Remorse
2] The Power of Full Application of the Antidote
3] The Power of Restoration
4] The Power of Support
Now then, Full Application of Strong Remorse is much regret for having engaged in
non-virtuous actions.
Now then, the Full Application of the Antidote is strong vigorous diligence in
virtuous actions immediately after having engaged in non-virtuous actions.
Now then, the Power of Restoration is gaining unbreakable restraint, by means of

taking up vows authentically.
Now then, the Power of Support is going for refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and
the Sagha, and not giving up Bodhicitta, the Spirit of Awakening.
And thus when such Powers are held, destructive power cannot prevail.
Maitreya, if a Bodhisattva Mahsattva has these Four Dharmas, he or she will

overcome detrimental actions that have been perpetrated and accrued.
Bodhisattva Mahsattvas must always read this Stra, must recite it, must think about
it, must meditate on it, and must practice it abundantly. By that means, the fruit of
damaging conduct will not be capable of emerging forth.
The Bhagavn gave teaching with those expressions, and forthwith the Bodhisattva
Mahsattva Maitreya, those fully-ordained monks, those Bodhisattvas, the divine
progeny such as Indra, and those wide-ranging assemblies rejoiced, and deeply
praised what had been spoken by the Bhagavn.
THE MAHYNA STRA KNOWN AS THE EXALTED TEACHING ON THE

FOUR DHARMAS IS COMPLETE.
TRANSLATED FROM THE TIBETAN BY ERICK TSIKNOPOULOS. THE TRANSLATION

WAS COMPLETED IN LATE MARCH-EARLY APRIL 2014, AT MCLEOD GANJ,
DHARAMSALA, INDIA.
The text of the phags pa chos bzhi stan pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen poi mdo used
for this translation was from the mdo tshan lam sgrig, in English A Collection of
Stras Arranged for the Path, compiled by dGe bshes Thub bsten dPal bZang (Geshe
Thubten Palsang {Gsh Thubten Plzang}), and published by the Library of Tibetan
Works and Archives in 2007. Its description is officially listed as lam gyi rim pa dang
sbyar bai mdo tshan, or a stra collection [that is] linked to the stages of the Path,
that is, the order of the stras within the volume was arranged according to the stages
of the lam rim or stages of the path literature of Tibetan Buddhism, and
each stra therein was chosen for its particular relevance to key points in the Stages of
the Path or Lamrim teachings, going, for example, from certain stras dealing with
the Four Noble Truths, impermanence, and death, to those discussing dependent
origination, the three higher trainings, and ethical discipline, to those teaching aspects
of refuge in the Triple Gem, confession and purification, and the generation of the
Spirit of Awakening or Bodhicitta, to those on Void Nature or Emptiness, the
Tathgatha Heart-Matrix or Buddha Nature, and the Three Dimensions of
Buddhahood (trikya).
GLOSSARY OF SELECTED TERMS:
bcom ldan das (S: bhagavn): the Buddha, Shkyamuni. Literally it means
something like, roughly, Sublime Lord in Sanskrit and Subduing and Accomplished
Transcendent One in Tibetan, although these etymological interpretations prove to be
quite varied and complex, and therefore difficult. With this term I currently prefer to
use Sublime Master in English because 1) I think that a functional rather than literal
rendition of this term works better, given the differing Indian and Tibetan meanings
and the difficulty of finding a terminological selection that fulfills both, 2) of the fact
that relying on a literal Tibetan etymological translation of a Sanskrit term, especially
in the context of an originally Indian document, seems inaccurate, and 3) the word is
only three syllables in Sanskrit and Tibetan, and so I tend to think that using more
than four syllables is a bit wordy. Here in this translation, however, I have just used
the Sanskrit.
byang chub kyi sems: Sanskrit bodhicitta, usually known in Western Buddhist circles
by the Sanskrit term or the Anglicized bodhichitta due to its popularity and the
difficulty in rendering it into precise English, although the literal translation is
Awakening Mind or even more literally Mind of Awakening. Here I have rendered
it as the Spirit of Awakening, mostly following the English translation of
Tsongkhapas Lam rim chen mo by the Lamrim Chenmo Translation Committee, re:
spirit of enlightenment.
byang chub sems dpa: Bodhisattva, that is, a being who aims to attain the full
Awakening of a Buddha, the word literally means awakening-being or being of
awakening in Sanskrit (although there is some debate about the original meaning of
sattva), and one interpretation of the Tibetan rendering could be hero aspiring for
awakening, or perhaps heroic being of awakening. However, this term is common
enough to almost anyone who takes the time to read a Mahyna Stra to warrant
retaining the Sanskrit, especially since the Sanskrit is the term almost always used in
English discourse, and has arguably become an English word now.
sems dpa chen po, as in byang chub sems dpa sems dpa chen po: Mahsattva, as in
Bodhisattva Mahsattva. The term literally means great being in Sanskrit and
great aspiring hero, or simply great heroic being. Mainly an appellation used to
describe Bodhisattvas, by emphasizing their greatness (and to a lesser extent in
Tibetan, re-emphasizing their bravery and aspiration).
References:
bod rgya tshig mdzod chen mo, Mi-rigs dPe-skrun Khang, 1998
mdo tshan lam sgrig, published by LTWA, 2007

The Sutra Arranged Like a Tree Dharani
HOMAGE TO THE THREE JEWELS!
NAMA SAMANA BUDDHANAM APRATIHATA SHASANANAM OM KINI

KINI TATHAGATA UDBHABHASHANTEBARADE UTTAMA UTTAMA
TATHAGITA UDBHABA HUNG PHAT SVAHA
Through holding to this, one will come to perfectly read and recite the entire Noble
Sutra Arranged Like a Tree. One will come to know the mandalas and samayas of all
that is mundane and transcendent. One will come to know even the mudras!
THE SUTRA ARRANGED LIKE A TREE DHARANI IS COMPLETE.
Translated by Erick Sherab Zangpo.
The Sun Stra

The Sun Stra
In the Indian Language [Sanskrit]: Surya Stra [srya-stra]
In the Tibetan Language: Nyimay Do (nyi mai mdo)
In the English Language: The Sun Stra
BOWS OF DEVOTION TO THE EXALTED THREE JEWELS!
near rvast, in the benefactor Anthapiadas relaxation garden in Jetavana Grove. At that
time, the divine son Srya [the Sun] was captured by a king of the demi-gods, Rhula.
Thereupon, the divine boy Srya contemplated the recollection of the Transcendent Conqueror.
At that time, he spoke the following verses:
I bow to the Buddha, the Hero,
Please free us all quickly.
As I call out to you from this mouth of mine,
I go for refuge in you!
Then, the Transcendent Conqueror, for the sake of the young god Srya, bestowed the following
sacred words of verse to the king of demi-gods, Rhula:
As the Buddha has love for the world,
Since Srya has gone for refuge
In the Arhat Tathgata,
Rhula [i] will now behold the Sun.
Whatever darkness there is, through illumination it will be dispelled.
The brilliant radiance of the fierce illuminator, the disc-like Moon,
And the Sun in the sky: Rhula cannot obscure them.
As for this Sun, Rhula, behold it!

Thereupon the king of the demi-gods Rhula released the young god Srya, and returning to his
previous form, went before the king of the demi-gods, Splendid Threads. Having gone there, as
his mind was unhappy and saddened, his hairs stood on end, and he stayed to one side. As he
stood to one side, the king of the demi-gods Splendid Threads spoke the following verses to the
king of demi-gods Rhula:
Why is it that your mind has become upset?
Rhula has seen the Sun,
And now your bodys appearance is absolutely horrendous.
Why is it that, out of fear, you have come here?
Rhula spoke thus:
Because I heard the Buddhas verses,
I was not able to steal the Sun,
And so my head split into seven pieces:
In my life, I have no happiness!
THE SUN STRA IS COMPLETE.

In the presence of the Mahpaita nandar, the translator of much learning, the kyan monk
Nyima Gyltsen Pl Zangpo [Excellent Glorious Victory Banner of the Sun] translated, edited,
and proofread this at the dwelling place of the bilingual ones, the great temple Pl Tarpa Ling.
On this earth, may it become like the sun and the moon!
The translation was first done during late 2010 in Sidhpur, India near Dharamsala, and was later
revised during September 2014 in Bangkok, Thailand.
[i] Rhula (Sanskrit: hindrance) is a term for many things: an ancient Indian astronomical and
astrological conception, a planet, a demon, a Tantric meditational deity, and the phenomenon of
eclipses; it is also the name of the Buddhas son. Rhula is generally associated with destructive
or wrathful astro-geological activities and phenomena, and their related psychological correlates.
Rhula trying to steal the sun in this Stra is probably a metaphor for an eclipse on the
microcosmic level, and more broadly the obscuring process of ignorance eclipsing wisdom on
the macrocosmic level. Srya, the Sun, takes refuge in the Buddha, and in so doing, the Buddha
helps him to unveil his true power, thereby dispelling the malevolent ecliptic celestial force of
Rhula. This Stra is rather cryptic, and perhaps can be seen as primarily a cultural fable relating
natural phenomena with the spiritual journey and its process. The main message seems to be that
faith in the Buddha (that is, Awakening itself) is the primary cause for dispersing obstacles (or
hindrances, Rhula), both physical and spiritual.
The Great Stra known as The Transcendent Victory Banner (Dhvaj Grana
Mah-Stra)
In the Indian Language: dhvaj-grana-nam-mahyna-stra
In the Tibetan Language: mdo chen-po rgyal-mtshan dam-pa zhes-bya-ba
In the English Language: The Great Stra known as The Transcendent Victory
Banner
HOMAGE TO THE PRECIOUS TRIPLE GEM.
Thus have I heard at one time: The Bhagavn [the Buddha] was staying at
Anthapiadas park in Jetavana Grove in rvast. Then the Bhagavn gave
teaching to the monks: Monks, if you happen to be staying in a hermitage, staying
beneath a tree, or staying in an empty house, when that which is called fear,
anxiety, or dread comes to arise, then at that time, you should authentically
recollect my aspects in the following way:
The Bhagavn (Transcendent Master) is the Suchness Faring One (Tathgata), the
Foe Destroyer (Arhat), the Perfectly Complete Buddha (Samyaksambuddha),
endowed with deep knowledge and good conduct, the One Gone to Bliss (Sugata), the
Knower of the World, the unsurpassed Charioteer of persons to be trained, the
Teacher of gods and humans: the Buddha Bhagavn.
At that time, if you do authentically recollect my aspects, then whatever there was of
that which is called fear, anxiety, or dread shall disappear.
Monks, long ago, in a place that was close to the battlefields of gods and demigods,
the ruler of the gods, Indra, said to the gods of the Thirty-Three: Friends, if you
happen to enter the battlefields of the gods and demigods, when that known as fear,
recollect my foremost victory banner, Total Triumph. At that time, if you do recollect
my foremost victory banner, Total Triumph, then whatever there was of that which is
called fear, anxiety, or dread shall disappear.
Monks, likewise, if you, as well, happen to be staying in a hermitage, staying

beneath a tree, or staying in an empty house, when that which is called fear,
recollect my aspects in the following way:
The Bhagavn (Transcendent Master) is the Suchness Faring One (Tathgata), the
Foe Destroyer (Arhat), the Perfectly Complete Buddha (Samyaksambuddha),
endowed with deep knowledge and good conduct, the One Gone to Bliss (Sugata), the
Knower of the World, the unsurpassed Charioteer of persons to be trained, the
Teacher of gods and humans: the Buddha Bhagavn.
Monks, at that time, if you do authentically recollect my aspects, then whatever there
was of that which is called fear, anxiety, or dread shall disappear.
Monks, the ruler of the gods, Indra, still has greed, has anger, has delusion, and is not
thoroughly liberated from birth, old age, sickness, death, sorrow, lamentation,
dissatisfaction, mental unhappiness and disturbance; and moreover has fear, has
anxiety, has panic, and has terror. And he sometimes becomes frightened, becomes
anxious, becomes panicked, and becomes terrified. Hence, monks, if you were to
contemplate by endeavoring to listen and contemplate by acting in accordance to
words, in the way that the gods of the Thirty-Three did for the words of the ruler of
the gods, Indra, who still has greed and anger, has delusion, and who is not thoroughly
liberated from birth, old age, sickness, death, sorrow, lamentation, dissatisfaction,
mental unhappiness and disturbance, and who moreover has fear, has anxiety, has
panic, and has terror, monks; for I am the Tathgata, the Arhat, the
Samyaksambuddha, free of greed, free of anger, free of delusion, thoroughly liberated
from birth, old age, sickness, death, sorrow, lamentation, dissatisfaction, mental
unhappiness and disturbance, without fear, without anxiety, without panic, and
without terror. This being so, monks, the point is to endeavor to listen to the words,
act in accordance with the entrusted instructions, and act in accordance with the
expounded teachings of I who am the Tathgata, the Arhat, the Samyaksambuddha,
free of greed, free of anger, free of delusion, thoroughly liberated from birth, old age,
sickness, death, sorrow, lamentation, dissatisfaction, mental unhappiness and
disturbance, without fear, without anxiety, without panic, and without terror.
The Bhagavn gave teaching thus with those words, and after the Sugata had taught
by speaking those words, once more he gave teaching in the following words:
In hermitages or under trees,
Or in empty homes, recollect the Chief of the World,
The Total Guide, the Perfect Buddha,
O monks.
If you do not recollect the Total Guide and Chief of the World,
The Perfect Buddha,
Then recollect the foremost of freedoms from attachment,
The Dharma.
If you do not recollect the foremost of freedoms from attachment,
The Dharma,
Then recollect the Sangha,
The unsurpassed field for positive potential.
If you do recollect the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha
In such a way,
Then fear, anxiety, and dread
Shall vanish, O monks.
Many people, trembling with fear,
Go for refuge in mountains, forests,
And under trees,

Worshiped by all with joy.
These are not the main refuge,
These are not the refuge supreme;
For it is not by relying on these refuges
That one is freed from all suffering.
Those who go for refuge in the Buddha, Dharma,
And Sangha, will, with deep insight, perceive well the Four Noble Truths:
Of suffering, the origin of suffering, the authentic cessation of suffering,
And the Noble Eightfold Path which leads to bliss and Nirva.
These are the main refuge,
These are the refuge supreme;
For it is by relying on these refuges
That one is freed from all suffering.

The Bhagavn gave teaching thus with those words, and those monks rejoiced, and
openly praised what had been spoken by the Bhagavn.
THE GREAT STRA KNOWN AS THE TRANSCENDENT VICTORY

BANNER IS COMPLETE.
Translated from the Tibetan by Erick Tsiknopoulos, June 2016.
Notes:
1. The final four stanzas are exactly the same as verses 189-192 (in the Pli version)
from the Section on the Buddha (buddhavaggo) in the Dhammapada. Thanissaro
Bhikkhus translation (1997) runs thus:
They go to many a refuge,
to mountains and forests,
to park and tree shrines:
people threatened with danger.
Thats not the secure refuge,
not the supreme refuge,
thats not the refuge,
having gone to which,
you gain release
from all suffering & stress.

But when, having gone
to the Buddha, Dhamma,
& Sangha for refuge,
you see with right discernment
the four noble truths
stress,
the cause of stress,
the transcending of stress,
& the noble eightfold path,
the way to the stilling of stress:
thats the secure refuge,
that, the supreme refuge,
that is the refuge,
having gone to which,
you gain release
from all suffering & stress.
And Acharya Buddharakhitas translation (1996) is as follows:

188. Driven only by fear, do men go for refuge to many places to hills, woods,
groves, trees and shrines.
189. Such, indeed, is no safe refuge; such is not the refuge supreme. Not by resorting
to such a refuge is one released from all suffering.
190-191. He who has gone for refuge to the Buddha, the Teaching and his Order,
penetrates with transcendental wisdom the Four Noble Truths suffering, the cause
of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the Noble Eightfold Path leading to the
cessation of suffering. [16]
192. This indeed is the safe refuge, this the refuge supreme. Having gone to such a
refuge, one is released from all suffering.
he Dynamic of Wisdom and Compassion in Prajpramit

Literature As Expressed in its Verse Summaries
(sacayagth, sdud pa tshigs su bcad pa)
The Dynamic of Wisdom and Compassion in Prajpramit Literature As Expressed in its
Verse Summaries (sacayagth, sdud pa tshigs su bcad pa)
by Erick Tsiknopoulos
Abstract
What follows is a cursory study of the relationship between the two concepts of wisdom and
compassion in the group of Mahyna Buddhist scriptures known as Prajpramit
(Tibetan: shes rab kyi pha rol tu phyin pa) in general, and in the category
of Prajpramit literature known as verse summaries
(Sanskrit: sacayagth, Tibetan: sdud pa tshigs su bcad pa) in particular.
In Sanskrit, wisdom and compassion are respectively praj and karu, and correspondingly in
Tibetan they are shes rab and snying rje. I have rendered prajpramit/shes rab kyi pha rol tu
phyin pa here as far-reaching practice of deep insight, which has hitherto not been found
elsewhere. It has been translated by others in numerous ways, and perhaps the most standard
usage is perfection of wisdom, normalized in part by the works of Edward Conze.
Here there will be an examination of some of the relevant stanzas from the Tibetan version of the
verse summary of the Prajpramit Stra-s, in particular the Eight Thousand Line version
(Skt: aashasrik-prajpramitstra, Tib: shes rab kyi pha rol tu phyin pai mdo brgyad
stong pa), entitled Verse Summary of the Far-Reaching Practice of Deep Insight (Skt: [rya-
] prajpramitsacayagth, Tib: [phags pa-] shes rab kyi pha rol tu phyin pa sdud pa tshigs
su bcad pa), which is often referred to in Tibetan literature (including tables of contents) by the
abbreviated nickname of mdo sdud pa, the condensed (or summarized) Stra, that is,
the Prajpramit Stra, and sometimes simply as sdud pa, the Summary. My translations
from the Tibetan will be compared to Conzes translation from the Sanskrit of the corresponding
stanzas. The text I have used, the Prajpramitsacayagth, differs in a few ways from the
one called Prajpramitratnaguasacayagth (Tib: shes rab kyi pha rol tu phyin pa yon
tan rin chen sdud pa tshigs su bcad pa), the one translated from Sanskrit by Conze. Its name is
different, not including the additional epithet of ratnagua, precious (good) qualities, and it has
eight chapters rather than the thirty-two in the Prajpramitratnaguasacayagth. A full
examination of all the differences between these two texts would require a great deal of research.
However, there are many similarities also, and they are without doubt two different versions of
the same text. Both of them assert themselves to be summaries of the Eight Thousand Line
Prajpramit Stra. It also seems that the vast majority of the stanzas in
the Prajpramitsacayagth are found nearly verbatim in
the Prajpramitratnaguasacayagth, although perhaps not vice-versa en total. Generally
their content is extremely similar. The order and arrangement of the stanzas, however, is in many
cases quite different, and locating the equivalent stanzas has in some cases required considerable
searching, several of them being placed in different chapters. These texts constitute two of the
main verse summaries of the Prajpramit teachings, though not the only ones. It should be
noted that both texts exist in Tibetan.
A brief discussion of the name of the text may be helpful. Ju Mipam Rinpoch (ju mi pham
rnam rgyal mgya mtsho), in his commentary to
the Prajpramitratnaguasacayagth entitled A Fine Exposition for Flawlessly
Absorbing the Intended Meaning of the Mother of the Victorious Ones: A Commentary on
the Precious Qualities Summary (Tib: yon tan rin chen sdud pai grel pa rgyal bai yum gyi
dgongs don la phyin ci ma log par jug pai legs bshad) explains its title as follows:
In the Indian language [Sanskrit], rya is exalted (or noble, phags pa) in the Tibetan
language. Likewise, praj is deep insight (shes rab), pramit is far-reaching practice (or
transcendental/perfective practice, pha rol tu phyin pa), sacaya is condensation (or
summary, sdud pa), and gth is stanzas (or verses, tshigs su bcad pa). Yet the extensive
meaning of the title must be understood from the context of the scripture [itself], and in brief it is
as follows. Because it is a Dharma which transcends the world, it is called Exalted. Because the
deep insight which realizes Suchness (Skt: tatht, Tib: de bzhin nyid) [to be] the [ultimate]
existential mode (gnas lugs) of all phenomena is the supreme and preeminent deep insight, it is
called the Perfection of Deep Insight. And because it serves to express and thereby teach such a
non-conceptual deep wisdom (rnam par mi rtog pai ye shes) itself, this scripture has gained the
name of the Far-Reaching Practice of Deep Insight. As anyone who relies upon this scripture
will gather and retain all the jewel-like qualities (ratnagua, yon tan rin chen [lta bu]) of the
mundane and supermundane paths and fruitions, it is called a Condensation.
The stanzas selected from the texts here are those which are especially related to the interplay
between compassion and wisdom in the framework of the Prajpramit literature. These
stanzas are by no means exhaustive of all those in the verse summaries related to theories of
compassion and its connection with wisdom, but rather a sampling meant to convey something
of the general principles underlying this key aspect of the Prajpramit scriptures, and by
extension Mahyna Buddhist philosophy as a whole. Listed first will be Conzes translation
from the Sanskrit stanzas of the Prajpramitratnaguasacayagth, followed below that
by my own translation from Tibetan of the parallel stanza in the Prajpramitsacayagth.
For clarity, Conzes translation will be in normal typeface and my own in boldface. Below that
will be my own commentary on the respective stanza.
One term worthy of particular note is saj (Tib: du shes), which I have rendered here as
conception. One definition popular in the Tibetan tradition is as follows: yul gyi thun mong ma
yin pai mtshan ma rang stobs kyis byed pai shes pao, which in English roughly means the
consciousness which distinguishes (or discriminates) by inherent (its own) power the uncommon
characteristics of an object. Saj is one of the five psycho-physical aggregates or skandha-s
(Tib: phung po) which make up the (perceived) individual or person, and which is often rendered
in English as perception. In the Prajpramit literature however, although closely related to
and an extension of this skandha, its meaning is more about forming the notion of any given
phenomenon as being distinct and self-contained, as being an absolute thing unto itself. Thus
here it would not refer to having merely the fleeting impressions or perceptions of things, but
rather the grasping onto such perceptions as being inherently real and indicative of a built-in
selfness, thus conceiving them as having discrete and inherent existence.
THE STANZA S
1.
[Edward Conze:]
No wisdom can we get hold of, no highest perfection,
No Bodhisattva, no thought of enlightenment either.
When told of this, if not bewildered and in no way anxious,
A Bodhisattva courses in the Well-Gones wisdom.

[Erick Tsiknopoulos:]
Any who hear the words, The supreme Prajpramit is not reifiable,
Bodhisattvas are not reifiable, Bodhicitta is not reifiable,
And are thereupon unconfused and unafraid:
Those Bodhisattvas are engaged in the Deep Insight of the Sugatas.
Sugata (Tib: bde bar gshegs pa), meaning Bliss-Gone or One Gone to Bliss, is a common
alternative name used for buddha-s which emphasizes their happiness as well as their
accomplishment of such a blissful state. This stanza suggests that in order to truly engage in the
practice of prajpramit, one must also view the key principles of Buddhism, and even
the prajpramititself, to be empty of inherent existence. This is implicit in the statement of
their unreifiability (Skt: anupalabdha, anupalabdhi, anupalambha or anopalabdhi,
Tib: mi dmigs pa), that is, their ultimate inability to be grasped or apprehended as discrete
entities which possess independent or concrete existence from their own side. Rather such
terms are ultimately conceptual designations used for either practical purposes in general or
skillful means utilized as teaching devices in particular. The Buddhist principles listed here are
ones related primarily to the Mahyna
path: prajpramit, bodhisattvaand bodhicitta. Perhaps of particular note here is bodhicitta,
one of the main practices of the bodhisattva path: even this practice, which entails generating an
altruistic resolve to attain Buddhahood in order to benefit all sentient beings, must be seen as
empty, and not apprehended as inherently existent, reified as being in any particular
conceptually imputed way, or invested with any type of imagined intrinsic substantiality. Thus
even the practices of the bodhisattva and of bodhicitta, related by definition to compassion,
should be balanced with the wisdom of the ultimate prajpramit. As Conzes translation
indicates, one cannot get hold of them, in the sense that it is impossible to find them via
conceptual reification or mental imputation. Acceptance of this teaching, without giving rise to
anxiety or unease, is an indication that one is a bodhisattva, or more broadly someone who is
thereby engaged in the Deep Insight of the Sugatas, that is, the real or
ultimate prajpramit, as opposed to a provisional or conventional form of prajpramit:
the wisdom of the buddha-s rather than that of lower-level bodhisattva-s engaged in an inferior
form of prajpramit.
The Tibetan mi dmigs used in this stanza which I have here rendered as not reifiable can also
mean inconceivable, unobservable, indefinable, non-referential and so on. What this
points to is a natural or innate freedom from conceptual limitations, mental constructs or fixed
reference points with respect to the existential status of the particular phenomenon under
discussion. Here it may be useful to examine the meaning of the English word reify.
The Oxford Dictionary states the definition of reify as [to] make (something abstract) more
concrete or real. The Merriam-Webster Dictionarylists it as to regard (something abstract) as a
material or concrete thing. Being related to the word real, we can thus think of reify as to
make something (abstract) real. The Online Etymology Dictionary gives its definition as [to]
make into a thing; make real or material; consider as a thing, and provides its etymological
origins as coming from the Latin res- (or re-), which means thing, phenomenon, object,
matter, affair, event, circumstance or condition. This in turn comes from the Proto-Indo-
European re-, which means to bestow, endow. In this sense reify is etymologically similar to
the term (super-)impose and its noun form, (super-)imposition.
2.
[Edward Conze:]
This gnosis shows him all beings as like an illusion,
Resembling a great crowd of people, conjured up at the crossroads,
By a magician, who then cuts off many thousands of heads;
He knows this whole living world as a mock show, and yet remains without fear.
It is like, for example, illusions conjured by a magician at a crossroads,
Wherein many millions of heads are severed from a giant throng of people,
Thus slaying them; in a similar fashion, the Bodhisattva,
Knowing all beings to resemble such illusions, is without fear.
The object of compassion is either other people or oneself, both of whom fall under the category
of sentient/living beings. This stanza is mostly focused on the proper way to view other beings
in relation to wisdom. The suggestion here is that while one must have compassion for other
living beings, one must moreover view them as being like illusions, that is, lacking real
existence. Like illusions, they are empty of intrinsic substance, yet nonetheless appear to the
senses. The illustrative metaphor of the illusion consisting of people being killed (by decapitation
no less) is worthy of consideration. It could be that their status as living, in the sense that is
normally thought, is being questioned here. They are thus alive but not alive, animate yet
inanimate. It would also seem that this gruesome image is being used as a vivid symbol of the
insubstantiality of so-called living beings. That their heads are cut off in such a hypothetical
magicians trick could also be a further symbol of their lack of inherent identity, since the head,
the container of the brains and face, is the primary mover and identifying basis of human
beings. This allegorical image also directly addresses fearlessness in relating to others. By seeing
beings as illusory, one is not deterred or daunted, regardless of how they may appear. Though
not explicit in the text, this also works to increase compassion when interacting with others,
because when not discouraged by fear or anxiety with relation to others, one is more empowered
to deal with them in a compassionate way.
3.
[Edward Conze:]
What then again is the vessel that leads to the Bodhi?
Mounted upon it one guides to Nirva all beings.
Great is that vessel, immense, vast like the vastness of space.
Those who travel upon it are carried to safety, delight and ease.
Why is this called the Great Vehicle of Awakening?
Whoever rides it steers all sentient beings to Nirva;
This vehicle is like the sky, a great room without measure:
Thus it is the prime vehicle leading straight to the winning of joy, happiness and bliss.
The key phrase here in relation to the dynamic of compassion and wisdom in
the Prajpramit Stra-s is steers all sentient beings to Nirva. The Great Vehicle of
Awakening refers generally to the Mahyna but in particular to the Prajpramit teachings.
One who rides or practices this vehicle or spiritual approach will, as a matter of course,
steer or bring all living beings to the state of Nirva: liberation or enlightenment. Compassion
is thus part and parcel of the practice of wisdom. One implication here could be that
the Prajpramit teachings epitomize the Mahyna approach, especially since they combine
wisdom and compassion as an integrated practice.
4.
[Edward Conze:]
Wise Bodhisattvas, coursing thus, reflect on non-production,
And yet, while doing so, engender in themselves the great compassion,
Which is, however, free from any notion of a being.
Thereby they practise wisdom, the highest perfection.
Clever and skillful Bodhisattvas, at any and all times,
Contemplate the Unborn in depth, thereby striving in training,
And engender great compassion, yet have no conception of sentient beings:
They are ones engaged in the supreme Far-Reaching Practice of Deep Insight.
This stanza is emblematic of some the core ideas about the connection between compassion and
wisdom in the Prajpramit Stra-s. Specifically, compassion is practiced concurrently with
wisdom, namely the wisdom which perceives that there are no inherently existing objects of
compassion, and by extension, no inherently existing act of engendering compassion, no
inherently existing person who is engendering compassion, and no inherently existing
compassion itself. The particular focus here though is on the objects of compassion, sentient
beings. Thus, while engendering great compassion, those who practice
the prajpramit simultaneously practice wisdom by not getting involved in the conception
of sentient beings, that is, actively refraining from the tendency to view sentient beings as
inherently existent. Those who do so are engaged in the supreme Far-Reaching Practice of Deep
Insight, that is, the ultimate and not the provisional prajpramit. Compassion without such
wisdom is merely a conventional compassion, not the ultimate or transcendent compassion of
the prajpramit.
5.
[Edward Conze:]
But when the notion of suffering and beings leads him to think:
Suffering I shall remove, the weal of the world I shall work!
Beings are then imagined, a self is imagined,
The practice of wisdom, the highest perfection, is lacking.
If they give rise to conceptions of sentient beings or conceptions of suffering,
Thinking, I must accomplish benefit for beings and eradicate their suffering,
Then those Bodhisattvas, having strong imputations of self and sentient beings,
Are not engaged in the supreme Far-Reaching Practice of Deep Insight.
Many statements similar to this stanza can be found in other PrajpramitStra-s, such as
famously in the Diamond Stra (Skt: vajracchedik-prajpramit-stra, Tib: shes rab kyi
pha rol tu phyin pa rdo rje gcod pai mdo). One well-known example from its opening section is
as follows:
The Buddha told Subhti, Bodhisattva-mahsattvas should pacify their minds thusly: All
different types of sentient beings, whether born from eggs, born from wombs, born from
moisture, or born from transformation; having form or no form; having thought, no thought, or
neither thought nor no thoughtI will cause them all to become liberated and enter
Remainderless Nirva. Yet when sentient beings have been liberated without measure, without
number, and to no end, truly no sentient beings have been liberated. Why? Subhti, if a
bodhisattva has a notion of a self, a notion of a person, a notion of a being, or a notion of a life,
then he is not a bodhisattva.
(Translated from the Chinese by Lapis Lazuli texts)
These sort of statements express one of the fundamental concepts of compassion in

the Prajpramit literature, namely that of the emptiness (Skt: nyat, Tib: stong pa nyid), of
all things including the so-called sentient beings who are conventionally thought to be
liberated by the bodhisattva. They are often concluded with assertions that maintain the utter
impossibility of a bodhisattva being a genuine bodhisattva, or at least a deep-minded one who
is a bodhisattva in more than name only, if he or she were to really think that sentient beings
truly exist. Likewise they also frequently declare, as in the present verse summary texts
including the above stanza, that such bodhisattva-s are most certainly not engaged in the
authentic, legitimate prajpramit. The reason again is because they have, as the above stanza
says, strong imputations of self and sentient beings'.
6.
[Edward Conze:]
He wisely knows that all that lives is unproduced as he himself is;
He knows that all that is no more exists than he or any beings.
The unproduced and the produced are not distinguished,
That is the practice of wisdom, the highest perfection.
Knowing how the self is to be how all sentient beings are,
Knowing how all sentient beings are to be how all things are,
Being non-conceptual toward both the Born and Unborn:
This is engaging in the supreme Far-Reaching Practice of Deep Insight.

While not exclusively aimed at the practice of compassion directly, this stanza indirectly refers
to the integration of wisdom and compassion via the focus on sentient beings, who are the object
of compassion. The first line deals with the equality of oneself and sentient beings, that is, their
equal nature with respect to their identical emptiness of inherent existence. One implication of
this would be that, as above, when contemplating compassion for sentient beings, one must
simultaneously be mindful of their true nature as emptiness. The second line considers
emptiness, the non-self empty nature of sentient beings, as commensurate with the actual
ontological mode of all phenomena or things (Skt: sarvadharma, Tib: chos kun). This is
reminiscent of the two-fold emptiness teaching in Mahyna philosophical exegesis, which
emphasizes that one must not only realize the emptiness or lack of inherent selfness in ones
own individual identity (Skt: pudgalanairtmya, Tib: gang zag gi bdag med) but also the
selflessness of phenomena (Skt: dharmanairtmya, Tib: chos kyi bdag med) in their entirety.
tienne Lamotte summarized this, as he put it, difference between the Hinayna and Mahyna
conceptions on this subject as follows:
the bodhisattvas [of the Mahyna] never lose sight of the twofold emptiness of persons and
[phenomenal] factors that forms the very basis of their philosophical perspective [as opposed to
the practitioners of the Hinayna who concentrate primarily on the one-sided emptiness of
persons]. They focus their feelings (i) on persons, (ii) on [phenomenal] factors and even, by a
supreme paradox, (iii) on nothing whatsoever [in the sense of non-conceptuality or the freedom
from all conceptual elaborations rather than nothingness]. If they have persons in mind, they
do not forget that these do not exist [inherently]; if they have [phenomenal] factors in mind, they
remember that they arise from a collocation [or assemblage] of causes and conditions and are
empty of intrinsic nature and of [inherent] characteristics; if they have nothing whatsoever in
mind, they guard against hypostatizing this true characteristic of [phenomenal] factors which
resolves into a pure and simple non-existence [of inherent selfhood].
[Source: Le Trait de la Grande Vertu de Sagesse de Ngrjuna (Mahprajpramitstra),

notes in brackets my own]
The third line addresses the need for the being non-conceptual (Tib: mi rtog pa) with respect to
both the Born or produced (Tib: skye ba) and the Unborn or unproduced (Tib: mi skye ba).
This could also be referred to as phenomena which are conditioned (Tib: du byas kyi chos) and
those which are unconditioned (Tib: du ma byas kyi chos), an alternative opposing pair which
is used elsewhere in the text. This duo namely refers to the conditioned phenomena of suffering
cyclic existence (Skt: sasra, Tib: khor ba) and the unconditioned phenomena of peaceful
cessation (Skt: nirva, Tib: mya ngan las das pa) respectively. This also relates to the non-
duality and one taste (Skt: ekarsa, Tib: ro gcig) of sasra and nirva, and thus their
essential sameness, interpenetration and mutually inclusive identity, a key concept in Mahyna
Buddhism, sometimes referred to in Tibetan exegesis as the inseparability
of sasra and nirva (Tib: khor das dbyer med). Being non-conceptual means here to not
reify and engage in discursive concepts which apprehend either the born or the unborn to have
inherent and independent existence. The authentic practice of the prajpramit necessitates
such non-conceptualization. As the fourth line concludes, when the self, all sentient beings, all
phenomena, and the produced and unproduced are actively perceived to empty of inherent
existence, this is the appropriate engagement in the prajpramit.
7.
[Edward Conze:]
If for aeons countless as the sands of the Ganges,
The Leader would himself continue to pronounce the word being:
Still, pure from the very start, no being could ever result from his speaking.
That is the practice of wisdom, the highest perfection.
Even if the Teacher himself, for eons as numerous as sands in the Ganges,
Were to sit proclaiming the word sentient being,
Being pure from the start, how could sentient beings be born?
This is engaging in the foremost Far-Reaching Practice of Deep Insight.
The main point here is once again that sentient beings are empty of inherent existence, and that
the genuine practice of the prajpramit entails engaging in this view of the intrinsic
insubstantiality of sentient beings, both oneself and others. The word sentient beings itself is
simply a designation of convention, regardless of who uses it, even the Teacher (the Buddha).
The usage of the word as a label for utilitarian purposes adds no weight to the issue of their
ultimate ontological status.
With reference to pure from the start (Tib: gzod nas dag pa), Conze notes that pure here
means empty'. This is highly reminiscent of the teaching of primordial purity or original
purity (Tib: ka dag) which came to have great prominence in later Mahyna discourse
especially in Tantric Buddhism, in particular in the specifically Tibetan forms known as Atiyoga
or Dzokchen (rdzog chen, Great Perfection) and Mahmudr or Chakgyachenpo (phyag rgya
chen po, Great Seal). This is interesting to note since the Prajpramit Stra-s are generally
determined by scholars to be historically some of the earliest Mahyna scriptures. This would
indicate that the equivalence of emptiness or selflessness (Pli: anatt, Skt: antman, Tib: bdag
med) with a kind of purity which is primordial or timeless (or atemporal) is very early,
and perhaps one which predates even the Mahyna. The question here is of what exactly
phenomena and sentient beings are pure of (and thus free from). The answer is that that they
are pure of inherent existence. To put it another way, all things are pure of the extremes of
existence and non-existence and the conceptual imputations which apprehend them as having a
self which is either eternal or nothing, permanent or annihilated. All phenomena thus embody
this primordial purity of the Middle Way, and the prajpramit is the practice of realizing
this to be so. Sentient beings, being thus pure from the start, that is, timelessly free from and
empty of the stains of inherent existence, cannot be truly born or come into existence. They
are timelessly lacking the three extremes of birth or production (Tib: skye ba), abiding or
remaining (Tib: gnas pa), and destruction or death (Tib: gag pa).
8.
[Edward Conze:]
This Perfection of Wisdom of the Jinas is a great lore,
Appeasing dharmas making for sorrow and ill in many a world of beings.
The Saviours of the World in the past, and in the future, and those [now] in the ten directions,
They have, by training in this lore, become the supreme physicians.
And [also] those who course in the practice of pity and concern for the welfare of others,
They, the wise, by having trained in this lore, will experience enlightenment.
Those who have conditioned happiness, and those who have unconditioned happiness,
All their happiness should be known as having issued from this.
The Victors Far-Reaching Practice of Deep Insight is a great Mantra of Knowledge.
It acts to pacify things of stress and suffering in many realms of sentient beings.
The Worlds Protectors, those of the past and those in the ten directions,
Have, by training in this Knowledge-Mantra, become unsurpassed kings of healers.
Those who conduct themselves with deeds of altruism and heartfelt love,
By training in this Knowledge-Mantra, become skillful ones who reach Awakening.
Know that of whatever conditioned happiness and unconditioned happiness there is,
All that bliss emerges from this.
Here the emphasis is that wisdom and its practice enables one to benefit living beings, the object
of compassion. The prajpramit is likened to a powerful mantra which removes suffering.
The context here may seem obscure to many readers: why a mantra, and what is a mantra of
knowledge? The word is vidymantra in Sanskrit and rig sngags in Tibetan (short for rig pai
sngags), a term which Conzes translation as lore alludes to being something like a magic spell
which bestows esoteric or arcane knowledge. A full discussion of this term is a complex
matter, but suffice to say that it indicates a mantra or incantation, usually but not always used
vocally, which when practiced engenders wisdom or insight, and which has extraordinary or
supernatural powers. It tends to be used in Mahyna texts in such a way that indicates a
superiority to the average mantra. Vidy/rig pa has many connotations but generally refers to
knowledge or awareness, and is the opposite of vidya/ma rig pa, ignorance or
unawareness, generally ascertained to the primary root of suffering in Buddhist discourse. In
this particular context, it is knowledge of a type which is transcendent or sublime. Its use here
would thus seem to have a few layers of meaning.
9.
[Edward Conze:]
When he thinks, I course in the wisdom of the Jinas,

I will set free niyutas of beings touched by many ills:
This Bodhisattva is one who imagines the notion of beings,
And this is not the practice of wisdom, the foremost perfection.
Thinking, I do engage in the Deep Insight of the Victorious Ones,
I liberate many thousands of sentient beings touched by suffering,
That Bodhisattva, having strong conceptions of sentient beings,
Is not one engaged in the supreme Far-Reaching Practice of Deep Insight.
The ideas expressed here follow the same lines of reasoning as before. Although
the bodhisattva must 1) engage in the wisdom-practice of the prajpramit and 2) cultivate
compassion for sentient beings, a mental state which by definition seeks to free them from their
suffering, if he or she forms strong conceptions (yongs rtog, thorough- or absolute concepts)
about either one of those actions themselves, relating to wisdom and compassion respectively, in
particular conceptions which take them to be inherently, self-sufficiently and independently
existent rather than how they actually are, that is, illusory, empty, unreal and insubstantial, then
he or she could not possibly be engaged in the mode of prajpramit which is supreme or
foremost (mchog), and would at best be practicing some lower, non-transcendental form
of prajpramit due to being attached to conventional designations. Such a bodhisattvas
attachment to the actions of wisdom and compassion is thus the very thing which prevents
authentic engagement with the prajpramit.
10.
[Edward Conze:]
When a Bodhisattva, having meditated on the foremost wisdom,
Emerged therefrom [i.e. that meditation] preaches the stainless Dharma,

And turns over also [the merit from] that to the enlightenment linked to the weal of the world:
There is nothing that is lovely in the triple world that could become equal to him.
If any Bodhisattva meditates on the supreme Deep Insight,
After arising thereupon conveys the Dharma devoid of stain,
And then, for the benefit of beings, dedicates to the cause of Awakening:
In the three worlds, there is no virtue equal to that.
Here both wisdom and compassion are addressed in a combined fashion. First the bodhisattva
meditates (Tib: bsgoms), or contemplates, the prajpramit. Then, after arising from that
meditation, he or she conveys (Tib: brjod), or explains, the Dharma which is devoid of stain
(Tib: gos pa med pa), in the sense that one is imparting a genuine and definitive teaching. The
ones being taught are sentient beings, and this is thus an act of compassion wherein one
expresses wisdom from ones personal experience of it via meditation and contemplation.
Finally, all of the meritorious karma-s, or causal forces, generated by these activities of 1)
meditating on wisdom and 2) teaching that wisdom to others out of compassion are then 3)
dedicated (Tib: bngo) toward the attainment of Awakening (Skt: bodhi, Tib: byang chub), or
enlightenment, which is the ultimate wisdom, for the benefit of sentient beings (Skt: sattva,
Tib: sems can) in their entirety, which entails the most comprehensive compassion. Throughout
the three worlds (Skt: trailokya, Tib: khams gsum) of the desire realm (Skt: kmaloka, Tib: dod
pai khams), form realm (Skt: rpaloka, Tib: gzugs kyi khams) and formless realm
(Skt: arpaloka, Tib: gzugs med kyi khams), this stanza proclaims, there is no virtue (Skt: kusala,
Tib: dge ba) which is equivalent to doing those three things. Wisdom and compassion are thus
perfectly fused in this triad of activities: meditation, teaching and dedication. The two
collections (Skt: sambharadvaya, Tib: tshogs gnyis) of merit (Skt: puya, Tib: bsod nams) and
wisdom (Skt: jna, Tib: ye shes), which in the general Mahyna teleological framework lead
to the attainment of Buddhahood, are by implication also subsumed within these three practices,
because the practice of meditating on the prajpramit acts as a causal factor for the
fulfillment of the collection of wisdom (Skt: jnasambhara, Tib: ye shes kyi tshogs), while the
practice of teaching the Dharma and dedicating the merit accumulated to all sentient beings
contributes to the collection of merit (Skt: puyasambhara, Tib: bsod nams kyi tshogs).
The prajpramit when carried out thus becomes a practice of insight which is truly far-
reaching and extensive, for its beneficial effects influence not only oneself, but all living beings.
Conclusion
The above has shown that the relationship of compassion and wisdom is an important idea in
the Prajpramit literature, of which the verse summaries are representative, by definition of
their stated intent as constituting summaries or synopses of the Prajpramit Sutra-s. The
link between compassion and wisdom may seem subtle or even confusing to many at first, and
indeed has been and remains a long-standing point of debate and dialogue in Mahyna
Buddhism. Although the potential implications and points of discussion are diverse and
manifold, the main thrust is as follows. Although one must cultivate compassion for sentient
beings, one must moreover have the wisdom which sees sentient beings to be empty: and by
extension, the very act of cultivating compassion and the one cultivating compassion (oneself)
must likewise be seen to be empty. This is referred to in Tibetan Buddhist literature as the deep
wisdom (or insight) which does not reify the three spheres (khor gsum mi dmigs pai ye
shes/shes rab) or the deep wisdom (or insight) which is non-conceptual toward the three
spheres (khor gsum mi rtog pai ye shes/shes rab). The three spheres are the sphere of the agent
or subject (byed pa po), the sphere of the action ([las su] bya ba) and the sphere of the recipient
of action or object (bya bai yul). Not reifying means not taking them to be real; not taking
them to be real means seeing them to be empty. It is through this deep insight realizing emptiness
(stong pa nyid rtogs pai shes rab) that compassion becomes fully actualized and realized to its
culmination. One is thereby able to fulfill the aims of the compassion which was initially
generated when embarking upon the bodhisattva path of the Mahyna. For it is through wisdom
that one attains enlightenment or awakening (Skt: bodhi, Tib: byang chub), and it is through the
attainment of Awakening that one is able to most fully benefit sentient beings. This is the
dynamic of wisdom and compassion in the supreme and transcendental Prajpramit: the Far-
Reaching Practice of Deep Insight.
References and Resources
phyogs bcui mun sel (Dispelling the Darkness of the Ten Directions), a collection of popular Tibetan
texts for recitation including the Prajpramitsacayagth (shes rab kyi pha rol tu phyin pa
sdud pa tshigs su bcad pa). Published by the Kansu Nationalities Publishing House (kan suu mi rigs
dpe skrun khang), 1997
shes rab kyi pha rol tu phyin pa sdud pa tshigs su bcad pa, found in phyogs bcui mun sel
The Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Line & Its Verse Summary, translated by Edward Conze.
Published by the Four Seasons Foundation, 1973 (PDFs available
at: http://lirs.ru/lib/conze/The_Perfection_of_Wisdom_in_Eight_Thousand_Lines,Conze,1973,1975.
pdf and http://huntingtonarchive.osu.edu/resources/downloads/sutras/02Prajnaparamita/Astasah
asrika.pdf)
The Tibetan Buddhist Resource Center (tbrc.org)
Rigpa Wiki (rigpawiki.org), Verse Summary of the Perfection of Wisdom entry
(rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Verse_Summary_of_the_Perfection_of_Wisdom); note that
the Prajpramitsacayagth and the Prajpramitratnaguasacayagth are not
differentiated in this entry, and the Tibetan title of former is given for the Sanskrit title of the latter.
yon tan rin chen sdud pai grel pa rgyal bai yum gyi dgongs don la phyin ci ma log par jug pai legs
bshad, by Mi-pham mGya-tsho (Ju Mipam [Mipham] Rinpoch], a commentary to
the Prajpramitratnaguasacayagth. Found on the Tibetan Buddhist Resource Center (org).
Originally published in Paro, Bhutan by Lama Ngodrup (bla ma dngos grub) and Sherab Drimey
(shes rab dri med) as reproductions of the block prints originally made by Derg Publishing House
(sde dge par khang)
Vajracchedik Prajpramit Stra, Taish Tripiaka volume 8, number 235, translated from the
Chinese by Lapis Lazuli Texts (lapislazulitexts.com/vajracchedika_prajnaparamita_sutra.html)
bcom ldan das yon tan rin po che sdud pai tshigs su bcad pai dka
grel (bhagavdratnaguasacayagathnamapajika) by Haribhadra (seng+ge bzang po), located
in the Tengyur (bstan gyur) and found on the Tibetan Buddhist Resource Center website at tbrc.org
The Eight Classes of Factors Favorable to the Noble Path & Twofold Emptiness, Selected Sections
from Chapters XXVIII, XXXII-XXXIV and XLVIII of The Treatise of the Great Perfection of Wisdom by
Ngrjuna, Translated from tienne Lamottes Le Trait de la Grande Vertu de Sagesse de
Ngrjuna(Mahprajpramitstra) by Gelongma Migme Chdrn; revised by Gelong Lodr
Sangpo (http://www.gampoabbey.org/documents/kosha-sources/Nagarjuna-
Mahaprajnaparamitasastra-Chapters-XXVIII-XXXII-XXXIV-and-XLVIII.pdf)
The Oxford Dictionary (oxforddictionaries.com)

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary (merriam-webster.com)
The Online Etymology Dictionary (etymonline.com)
Wikipedia entry for Prajnaparamita (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prajnaparamita)
The Tibetan Missing Translators Colophon Version of the Dharma
Wheel Discourse (chos kyi khor loi mdo gyur byang med pa):
A New Translation into English by Erick Tsiknopoulos (2013)
Translators Note:
This is one of two versions of the Dharma Wheel Discourse in Tibetan. The
other one is called chos kyi khor lo rab tu bskor bai
mdo (Skt: dharmacakrapravartana-stra), which I nickname the Pravartana
version to distinguish its inclusion of the pravartana/rab tu skor ba/fully or
mightily turning part of the title. This present version is the chos kyi mkhor
loi do (gyur byang med pa), The Stra of the Dharma Wheel (Without the
Translators Colophon), and I nickname it the Missing Translators
Colophon version. In Sanskrit its title is dharmacaka-stra, which does not
correspond directly to the Pli title dhammacakkappavattana-sutta, as the
former means the Discourse on the Dharma Wheel and the latter means The
Discourse on the Turning of the Dharma Wheel. This Tibetan version is,
however, definitely a version of some form of the dhammacakkappavattana-
sutta, although a very condensed one which is missing the traditional first
third of the discourse for one reason or another. It is clearly a version of the
same discourse because the remaining portions in this Tibetan version
correspond very closely to those of the Pli version. It is listed in the Kangyurs
table of contents with the qualifying appellation gyur byang med pa, without
the translators colophon, probably mainly to distinguish it from the other
version, and perhaps to simultaneously denote one of its noticeable
peculiarities. However, it is not titled as such in the text itself, where it is listed
simply as dharmacakra-stra and chos kyi khor loi mdo in Sanskrit and
Tibetan respectively, although at the end of the discourse, the longer title of
The Turning of the Dharma Wheel (chos kyi khor lo bskor ba) is given at its
very end. It was most likely a translation from Sanskrit, as the vast majority of
the Tibetan translations of Buddhist texts were from Sanskrit. In most
translators colophons, the name of the Indian Buddhist scholar with whom the
translator consulted during the translation is listed.
However, based on its major omissions, the presumably-Sanskrit version which

was used for the Tibetan translation of the Missing Translators Colophon
version must have been quite different (and shorter) than other extant Sanskrit
versions, as these omissions are not found in the Chinese and even the other
Tibetan version. Because the translation does not feature a colophon written by
the translator, its translator is unknown and no other information can be easily
discerned, making the origins of both the original Sanskrit text and its Tibetan
translation rather mysterious.
According to Anlayos notes (2012) and based on my own research, it would

seem that as of this writing there is no full English translation of either of the
Tibetan versions. This translation contained herein is therefore possibly the first
complete English translation of either of the Tibetan versions of the Dharma
Wheel Discourse. At the least, a translation from the Tibetan has not been
widely distributed on the internet or in print.
The Dharma Wheel Discourse is often considered to be one of the most

important teachings in the Buddhist canon, particularly by the Theravda
Buddhist lineage. Its importance is generally held by the Buddhist traditions to
be as follows:
1) It is identified by most Buddhist traditions as being the Buddhas very

first teaching after attaining his state of Enlightenment or Awakening,
especially by the Theravda, but also by most of the Mahyana traditions.
2) It is one of the most well-known and frequently referenced of the
Buddhas discourses dealing explicitly with the Four Noble Truths (hereafter
the Four Ennobling Truths).
3) Since the Four Ennobling Truths are considered to be one of the most
important teachings of the Buddha by most Buddhist schools (especially the
Theravda), this particular discourse is given special regard and consideration
by most Buddhist traditions, including Tibetan Buddhism.
Some Notes on the Translation and Terminology:
Here I am tempted to follow Dr. Peter Harveys suggestion of ennobling

rather than noble, although not so much his spiritually ennobled and
realities. He makes arguments against the translation of the use of the word
truth and prefers reality, thus Four Realities for the Spiritually
Ennobled. Although I do have some partiality to reality, and agree with much
of his analysis here, I also think that it is debatable and flexible, depending on
the audience and context. Adding spiritually, a new word which has no
etymological basis, while philosophically sound, is in my opinion as a
translator, a form of fabrication. In regard to ennobling specifically, Harvey
explains in his excellent book, An Introduction to Buddhism (1990, 2013) as
follows, with relevant notes or explanations in brackets:
The translation of ariya-sacca [Tibetan: phags pai bden pa] as Noble Truth,
while well established in English-language literature on Buddhism ([for
example] Anderson, 1999), is the least likely of the possible meanings ([as]
Norman [said in] 1997:16). To unpack and translate this compound, one needs
to look at the meanings of each word, and then how they are related
And:
What of the term ariya [Tib: phags pa]? As a noun, this means noble one. In
Brahmanism, the term referred to members of the top three of the four social
classes, denoting purity of descent and social superiority. In Buddhism it is
used in a spiritual sense: the Buddha is the noble one and other noble ones
are those who are partially of fully awakened, and those well-established on the
path to these states. To make clear the spiritual sense of the term, and that being
a noble one is an attainment rather than something one is born to, the
translation the spiritually ennobled seems most apposite: a person who has
been uplifted and purified by deep insight into reality. As an
adjective, ariya means noble, hence the Buddhist path, the practice of which
makes ordinary people into noble ones, is itself said to be noble.
And:
The four of these are the most significant categories of existence, [which] only
the spiritually ennobled recognize the full import of. Correct identification of
them, and deep insight into their nature, is what makes a person spiritually
ennobled.
Despite my inclination, I have decided to retain the traditional term of the Four
Noble Truths. However, I do think that these issues of terminology are
important to consider, and that Dr. Harvey has made some interesting
suggestions.
To this I would add Dr. Peter Harveys excellent translators note to his own
translation of this discourse from the Pli, which sums up the important
information better than I can:
Translators note: The setting: seven weeks after the Buddhas

enlightenment/awakening, he goes to five former companions that he had
previously practiced extreme asceticism with (Vin i 8-10). After trying
asceticism, he had given this up for a more moderate approach based on a
healthy body and jhna (mindful, calm and joyful altered states of
consciousness based on samdhi (mental unification)). The following is seen as
the first teaching he gave to anyone. In other contexts, the Buddha taught the
Four True Realities for the Spiritually Ennobled Ones to people after first
giving them a preparatory discourse to ensure they were in the right frame of
mind be able to fully benefit from the teaching:
Then the Blessed One gave the householder Upli a step-by-step discourse,
that is, talk on giving, talk on moral virtue, talk on the heaven worlds; he made
known the danger, the inferior nature of and tendency to defilement in sense-
pleasures, and the advantage of renouncing them. When the Blessed One knew
that the householder Uplis mind was ready, open, without hindrances,
inspired and confident, then he expounded to him the elevated Dhamma-
teaching of the buddhas: dukkha, its origination, its cessation, the path. [M i
379-80]
The four true realities taught by the Buddha are not as such things to believe
but to be open to, see and contemplate, and respond to appropriately: by fully
understanding dukkha/pain/the painful, abandoning that which originates it,
personally experiencing its cessation, and cultivating the path that leads to this.
These four true realities are the four fundamental dimensions of experience, as
seen by a spiritually noble person with deep wisdom: the conditioned world,
that which originates it, the cessation/transcending of it (the unconditioned,
Nibbna), and the path to this. Indeed, it is by insight into these that a person
becomes spiritually ennobled.
The Tibetan Missing Translators Colophon Version of the Dharma

Wheel Discourse (chos kyi khor loi mdo gyur byang med pa):
A New Translation into English by Erick Tsiknopoulos (2013)
The Dharma Wheel Stra
In the Indian Language: Dharmachakra Stra [dharmacakra-stra]
In the Tibetan Language: Chh kyi Khorloi Do [chos kyi khor loi mdo]
In the English Language: The Dharma Wheel Stra [The Stra of the Dharma
Wheel]
ADORATION TO THE COMPREHENSIVELY UNDERSTANDING ONE.
Thus have I heard these words: At one time the Buddha, the Sublime Master,
was residing in the Deer Grove of Sagely Exposition in Vras, and it was
from there that the Sublime Master bestowed teaching upon the the five-fold
group of spiritual mendicants:
[The First Phase]
Seekers of virtue, I gave rise to vision concerning things I had not heard
before, as I progressively contemplated, The noble truth of suffering is this
itself. Understanding, awareness, knowledge, and realization arose.
before, as I progressively contemplated, Suffering is this itself. The
origination of suffering is this itself. The stopping of suffering is this itself. The
path leading to the stopping of suffering is this itself. Understanding,
awareness, knowledge, and realization arose.
[The Second Phase]
before, as I progressively contemplated, I must directly know the noble truth
of suffering, and thereby comprehensively understand it. Understanding,
of sufferings origination, and thereby comprehensively eradicate it.
Understanding, awareness, knowledge, and realization arose.
of realizing sufferings stopping, and thereby comprehensively actualize it.
of the path leading to sufferings stopping, and thereby comprehensively
cultivate it. Understanding, awareness, knowledge, and realization arose.
[The Third Phase]
before, as I progressively contemplated, The noble truth of suffering has been
directly known, and thereby comprehensively understood. Understanding,
before, as I progressively contemplated, The noble truth of sufferings
origination has been directly known, and thereby eradicated. Understanding,
before, as I progressively contemplated, The noble truth of sufferings
stopping has been directly known, and thereby actualized. Understanding,
before, as I progressively contemplated, The noble truth of the path leading to
sufferings stopping has been directly known, and thereby cultivated.
Seekers of virtue, for so long as I had not given rise to vision, given rise to
understanding, awareness, knowledge, and realization in regard to the Four
Noble Truths, enumerated into their three phases and consequent twelve modes,
I was not emancipated from this world with its Devas, with its Mras, with its
Brahms, with its living beings including spiritual contemplatives and priests,
with its gods and humans; I did not have liberation and definitive deliverance,
did not increasingly abide with a mind of utter freedom, without distortion, and,
O seekers of virtue, I did not know what is called the unparalleled
authentically complete awakening of manifestly complete Buddhahood.
Seekers of virtue, when I had given rise to vision, given rise to understanding,
awareness, knowledge, and realization in regard to the Four Noble Truths,
enumerated into their three phases and consequent twelve modes, thereafter I
was emancipated from this world with its Devas, with its Mras, with its
Brahms, with its living beings including spiritual contemplatives and priests,
with its gods and humans; I did have liberation and definitive deliverance, did
increasingly abide with a mind of utter freedom, without distortion, and, O
seekers of virtue, thereafter I did know what is called the unparalleled
authentically complete awakening of manifestly complete Buddhahood.
When the teaching on this section of Dharma was bestowed, the Venerable
Kauinya and eighty thousand gods gave rise to the dustless and stainless
Dharma Eye.
Then, the Sublime Master granted instruction to Venerable Kauinya:
Kauinya, have you understood all dharmas?
[Kauinya:] Bhagavn, I have fathomed all.
[The Buddha:] Kauinya, have you understood all?
[Kauinya:] Sugata, I have fathomed all indeed, I have fathomed all indeed.
Because Venerable Kauinya had understood all of the Dharma, Venerable

Kauinya was therefore dubbed with the moniker jtakauinya, All-
Understanding Kauinya.
The earth-dwelling yakas broadcast the announcement: Kauinya has

understood all of the Dharma!, and then boomed a song, which went:
Friends! The Bhagavn, in the Deer Grove of Sagely Exposition, in Vras,

has turned the Dharma Wheel, imbued with the Dharma, enumerated into its
three phases and consequent twelve modes, which has gone unturned in
accordance with the Dharma by anyone in the world, whether spiritual
contemplatives, priests, gods, Mras, or Brahms, for the sake of helping many
living beings, for the happiness of many living beings, out of compassionate
love for the world, for the benefit, support, and welfare of humans and gods,
and thus, the abodes of gods shall deeply thrive, and the abodes of anti-gods
shall utterly decline!
Having heard the uproar of the earth-dwelling yakas, the announcement was
then resounded from the abodes of the sky-traveling yakas, to those of the
Four Great Kings, to the heavens of the gods of the Thirty-Three, to those of
the gods of Joyous, Conflict-Free, Emanation Delight, and Mastery Over
Others Emanations, within that single moment, within that single instant,
within that very second, at that moment, instant, and very second, all the way
up to the world of Brahm. The gods of the Brahm abode also broadcast the
announcement as follows:
Friends! The Bhagavn, in the Deer Grove of Sagely Exposition, in Vras,

has turned the Dharma Wheel, imbued with the Dharma, enumerated into its
three phases and consequent twelve modes, which has gone unturned in
accordance with the Dharma by anyone in the world, whether spiritual
contemplatives, priests, gods, Mras, or Brahms, for the sake of helping many
living beings, for the happiness of many living beings, out of compassionate
love for the world, for the benefit, support, and welfare of humans and gods,
and thus, the abodes of gods shall deeply thrive, and the abodes of anti-gods
shall utterly decline!
Because the Sublime Master had thus turned the Dharma Wheel, imbued with
Dharma, enumerated into its three phases and consequent twelve modes, at the
Deer Grove of Sagely Exposition in Vras, this section of Dharma was
designated with the title The Turning of the Dharma Wheel.
THE STRA OF THE DHARMA WHEEL IS COMPLETE.
Translated by Erick Tsiknopoulos, October-November 2013, in the Sanctuary

of Yearning for Release (Thard Ling), McLeod Ganj, Dharamsala, India.
Special thanks to Gsh Lobsang Chgyl Rinpoch for his profound and
powerful teachings and commentary on this discourse on the holy day of
Chhkhor Dchhen, the great time (celebration) of the Dharma Wheel, for
which I had the good fortune to interpret for a group of about ten people in
Rinpochs room, and to Dr. Lobzang Gyamtso for his insightful and erudite
commentary on the Tibetan text. Also thanks to Gsheyma candidate Ven.
Zangmo for her kind and lucid explanation of Illuminating Emancipations
Path: An Exposition on the Four Noble Truths & Dependent Arising (bden bzhi
dang rten brel gyi rnam par bzhag pa thar lam gsal byed ces bya ba bzhugs
so) by Chon Jetsn Drakpa Shaydrup (co ne rje brtsun grags pa bshad sgrub).
Updated late December, 2013.

The Sun Sūtra

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The Sun Sūtra

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The Sun Stra

The Sun Stra

In the Indian Language [Sanskrit]: Surya Stra [srya-stra]

In the Tibetan Language: Nyimay Do (nyi mai mdo)

In the English Language: The Sun Stra

BOWS OF DEVOTION TO THE EXALTED THREE JEWELS!

I bow to the Buddha, the Hero,

Please free us all quickly.

As I call out to you from this mouth of mine,

I go for refuge in you!

Since Srya has gone for refuge

In the Arhat Tathgata,

Rhula [i] will now behold the Sun.

Whatever darkness there is, through illumination it will be dispelled.

The brilliant radiance of the fierce illuminator, the disc-like Moon,

And the Sun in the sky: Rhula cannot obscure them.

As for this Sun, Rhula, behold it!

Why is it that your mind has become upset?

Rhula has seen the Sun,

And now your bodys appearance is absolutely horrendous.

Why is it that, out of fear, you have come here?

Because I heard the Buddhas verses,

I was not able to steal the Sun,

And so my head split into seven pieces:

In my life, I have no happiness!

THE SUN STRA IS COMPLETE.

Translated from the Tibetan by Erick Tsiknopoulos

The Three Kyas Stra

In the Indian Language [Sanskrit]: rya Trikya nma Mahyana Stra

In the Tibetan Language: Phakpa Ku Sum zheyjaway Thekpachhenpoi Do [phags pa

ADORATION TO ALL BUDDHAS AND BODHISATTVAS.

How many bodies [kyas] does the Bhagavn possess?

The Sublime Master bestowed teaching thus:

The Sublime Master bestowed teaching to the Bodhisattva Kitigarbha thus:

Son of good lineage, the transmutation of the storehouse consciousness is Mirror-

The Sublime Master bestowed teaching thus:

THE EXALTED MAHYANA STRA KNOWN AS THE THREE KYAS IS

Translated from Tibetan by Erick Tsiknopoulos in McLeod Ganj, Dharamsala,

Mirror-Like Wisdom, Equalizing Wisdom, Discriminating Wisdom, and Action-

The Dharmakya is correlated to 1) mirror-like wisdom, which is by its very nature 2)

The Sambhogakya is correlated to 1) discriminating wisdom, which is by its very

The Nirmanakya is correlated to 1) action-accomplishing wisdom, which is by its

In this stra, equalizing wisdom (Ratnasambhava and the purification of pride) is

1) Mirror-like wisdom, being related to the Dharmakaya, is the foremost profound

2) Discriminating wisdom, being related to the Sambhogakaya, is the second most

3) Action-accomplishing wisdom, being related to the Nirmanakaya, is the third

It may be significant however that equalizing wisdom is mentioned between the

The Teaching on the Eleven Contemplations Stra

In the Indian Language [Sanskrit]: rya Samjna Ekadasha Nirdesha Stra

In the Tibetan Language: Phakpa Dushey Chuchik Tenpay Do

(phags pa du shes bcu gcig bstan pai mdo)

ADORATION TO THE THREE JEWELS.

THE TEACHING ON THE ELEVEN CONTEMPLATIONS STRA IS COMPLETE.

he Stras on Recollecting the Precious Triple Gem

HOMAGE TO ALL BUDDHAS AND BODHISATTVAS.

THE RECOLLECTION OF THE NOBLE BUDDHA IS COMPLETE.

In the Indian Language [Sanskrit]: dharma-anusmti

HOMAGE TO ALL BUDDHAS AND BODHISATTVAS.

In the Indian Language [Sanskrit]: sagha-anusmti

HOMAGE TO ALL BUDDHAS AND BODHISATTVAS.

The Noble Sagha is attending well. It is attending appropriately. It is attending harmoniously. It

THE RECOLLECTION OF THE SAGHA IS COMPLETE.

The Stra on the Three Trainings